Talking-machine.



NOR-741,543 PATENTED 00:1: 13 P Y M. A. POSSQNS.

TALKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1902.

N0 ODEL.

anwml oz "UNITED, STATES Patented October 13, 1903.

MINARD A. POSSONS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TALKING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,543, dated October 13, 1903. I Application filed May 19, 1902. Serial No. 108,078. (No model.)

T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MINARD A. PossoNs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveknown by those skilled in this art and by users of this class of talking-machines, the

needle is so cut and worn in the use thereof that it becomes useless for good results after playing onetune, and it is necessary to provide a new needle.

My invention pertains to means for automatically retaining the point of the needle, whereby the'needle is adapted for continuous use until worn out. V

The means whereby I prevent the wearing of the point of the needle upon one side, which makes it unfit for playing more than one tune, and whereby I cause the needle to wear uniformly at, its point consists in providing any suitable means for causing a rotation of the needle.

As is well understood by those skilled in this art, theneedle in this class of machines is inclined about sixty degrees. The angle of the needle therefore regulates the angle of the point when the needle is caused to rotate according to my present invention, thus causing the point of the needle to be at the angle at which it is inclined and adapted-for continuous use until completely wornv out.

My present invention also pertains to means for longitudinally adjusting the needle as its point is worn away, whereby a single needle is adapted for long service, since I find that one thirty-second of an inch of this needle will play about one hundred tunes. My in.- vention therefore makes it possible for this class of talking-machines to be controlled by coin-actuated mechanism, which, so far as I am aware,.has not been heretofore possible on account of the necessity of changing the needle after a single operation thereof.

In the accompanyingdrawingsIhave shown one specific manner of accomplishing the rotation of the needle, though I do not limit ber 4, which is connected in the usual manmyself to any particular construction or mechanism or manner of causing the needle to rotate, my invention being, broadly, the idea of a rotatable needle, whereby it is caused to automatically wear all sides of its, point uniformly'and adapting it for con-tinuous'use, which is not possible in the use of the ordinary stationary needle.

Referring now to the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective View of the sound-box, showing v one form or adaptation of my revoluble neev dle in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the sound-box, showing the needle-support in longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken longitudinally through the needle-sup- ,port at the lower portion of the sound-box.

Fig. 4 is a detached view of the clamp which carries a part of the particular specific form of mechanism here shown for causing the rotation of the needle. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the needle, showing its specific construction.

In the accompanying drawings likereference-numerals designate corresponding parts in the several figures;v

1 indicates the casing of the sound-box, 2 the diaphragm, and 3 the needle.

In, the usual construction of talking-machines of this class the: needle is stationary and is stationarily connected with the diaphragm in any suitable manner.

7 Myimprovement, as. before stated, consists '8 5 in providing any suitable means for causing the rotation of the needle. "As here shown, one specific form for accomplishing this consists in providing a supporting tube or memnor through the means of a connection 5 at its inner end with the diaphragm .2. The

outer end of the supportingmember or tube passes through the flange of the sound-box. I Situated within the supporting member or 5 tube 4 and revoluble in relationthereto is a needle-holder 6. This needle-holder consists of a tube having its end provided with conical. bearing portions? and 8, adapted to coact with corresponding recesses in opposite ends of the tube,1whereby lost motion between the needle-holderand its supporting member or tube 4 when the machine is in use is prevented. The lower and outer end of the needle-holder projects and is provided with a screw-threaded jaw portion 9, adapted to receive an ordinary clamping-chuck 10, by means of which the needle 3 is clamped at the desired point within the holder and ad apted to be adj usted longitudinally therein as it becomes worn until it is too short for further use. From this construction it will be noted that the needle-holder is movable from its supporting member or tube 4, but will be held in position therein in the use of the machine, since the projecting end of the needle is in contact with the record 11.

The needle-holder will be rotated through the medium of anysuitable means, and I do not limit myself to the manner of causing the rotation of the needle or to the manner of supporting the needle whereby it is adapted to be rotated. The means here shown for causing the rotation of the needle is actuated through its contact with the record, though other means of actuating the needle may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Referring now particularly to one of the specific forms for causing the rotation of the needle, as here illustrated, 17 is a cog-gear constructed of non metallic material and which is suitably connected with the chuck 10, and this cog-Wheel is in engagement with a worm 16, carried by a shaft suitably journaled in an arm 15 of a bracket 12. The bracket 12 is clamped to the sound-box by means ofa thumb-screw 14, though it will be readily understood that the supporting member for the worm 16 may be integral with the sound-box. The opposite end of the shaft, which carries the worm 16, has attached thereto a non-metallic actuating-wheel 18. The periphery of this wheel 18 is preferably composed of felt and is in contact with the record 11 and is caused to rotate and in turn causes the rotation of the worm, and the worm in turn causes a rotation of the needle through the medium of the gear 17, as will be readily understood. The connecting member 19 between the non-metallic actuating-wheel 18 and the shaft of the worm 16 is flexible, and preferably, as here-shown, consists of a spiral-wire tube which permits ready flexibility and yet will transmit its rotary motion to the shaftof the worm 16 and through the medium of the shaft to the worm for causing the rotation of the needle, as before explained. This form of flexible connection will not aifect the vibration of the needle for vibrating the diaphragm in the sound-box, yet it will cause a rotation of the needle through the frictional contact of the felt periphery with the record 11, which is rotated thereunder.

By reference to Fig. 5, which shows a sectional View of the needle, 20 indicates atsoft chines, and I therefore do not limit myself to any particular manner or means whereby the needle is caused to rotate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a talking-machine, adiaphragm and a longitudinally-extended inclined reproducing-needle freely rotatable about its own axis and phonetically connected with the diaphragm.

2. In a talking-machine, adiaphragm,arecord, a longitudinally-extended reproducingneedle freely rotatable about its own axis, means actuated by contact with the record, and an operative connection between said means and the needle for revolving the latter.

3. In a talking-machine, a diaphragm,a record, and a longitudinallyextended reproducing-needle freely rotatable about its own axisand longitudinallyadjustable,said needle being in phonetic connection with the diaphragm.

4. In a talking-machine, a diaphragm,a record, a longitudinally-extended reproducingneedle holder freely rotatable about its own axis phonetically connected with said diaphragm, and a reproducing-needle held by and longitudinally adjustable within the holder.

5. In a talking-machine, a diaphragm,a rec ord, a longitudinally-extended reproducingneedle freely rotatable about its own axis, a wheel rotated by contact with the record, and an operative connection between the wheel and the needle for rotating the latter.

6. In a talking-.machine,a diaphragm, a record, a longitudinally-extended reproducingneedle freely rotatable about its own axis, a shaft carrying a wheel rotated by contact with the record, and an operative connection between said shaft and said reproducingneedle for rotating the latter.

7. In a talking-machine, a diaphragm, a record, a longitudinally-extended reproducingneedle freely rotatable about its own axis, a shaft carrying awheel which is rotated by contact with the said record, a shaft operatively connected with said needle to rotate it, and a flexible connection between said needle and said shaft.

8. A talkingmachine including a diaphragm, a record, a longitudinally-extended reproducing-needle freely rotatable about its own axis and phonetically connected with said diaphragm, and a non -metallic actuatingwheel adapted to rotate by contact with the record, said wheel operatively connected with the needle to cause the rotation thereof.

9. A talking-machine including a diaphragm, a record, a longitudinally-extended reproducing-needle freely rotatable about its own axis and phonetically connected with the diaphragm,a gear connected with said needle, a shaft extending at right angles to said wheel and carrying a Worm in engagement with the gear, and a wheel flexibly connected with the shaft and adapted to be rotatedv by contact with the record.

10. A talking-machine including a record, a diaphragm, a longitudinally-extended needle-holder phonetically connected with the diaphragm, and rotatable about its own axis, a reproducing-needle carried by said holder, a supporting member, the supporting member and the needleholder having conical bearings, and means for rotating said needleholder.

11.. A talking machine including a diaphragm, a longitudinally-extended reproducing-needle rotatable about its own axis and phonetically connected with the diaphragm, and a detachable bracket carrying means for causing the rotation of the needle.

' 12. In a talking-machine, the combination of alongitudinally-extended reproducing-needle rotatable about its own axis and automatically sharpened and means for rotatingthe said needle.

13. In a talking-machine, the combination of a record of sound, a pointed needle freely rotatable about its own axis, and means for; 

